My Saving Grace
by Kh-hp-Disneylover809
Summary: Shadow had amnesia and wants to revive his memory. Little did he know that it would lead him to a young woman who reminds him of that blond haired girl he sees in his dreams. Will the building relationship help or hurt him further? What's a hedgehog to do? Rated for violence, language, and firearms. Shadowxoc! My first Sonic story!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Trouble Brewing

(Normal POV)

Life was dull for Shadow the Hedgehog. He aimlessly walked the streets of Westopolis, watching the humans go about their lives. As he watched them, he wondered what he would do with his life. But what could he do? He had no money, no job, no friends, no family, and no home and almost everyone he came across hated his guts. No one trusted him and the Sonic Team always suspected he was up to something and kept their distance from him. Aside from being violent, Shadow did have his reasons for hurting people; who cared if a few humans got hurt anyways? Besides, no one cared for _him _or his existence. He felt like an outcast in a world full of humans.

When the sun began setting, and with nothing to do, Shadow stood in a grassy field outside of the city to watch the sun disappear behind the skyscrapers. With no noise, except for the wind, Shadow plunged into a deep state of thought. They were the same questions: _Shadow the Hedgehog. Why does that name haunt me? It's all I can remember…and that gruesome image…_Shadow closed his eyes and saw himself in a different place in time with that blond girl he had been dreaming of. They were running from something but it always ended the same with the girl turning back to look at the people and getting shot in the chest, dying.

_"MARIA!" _Shadow's eyes snapped open as if waking from a nightmare and he stared at the setting sun.

"Who am I?" he asked himself. "Where did I come from? What is my purpose? Why can't I remember anything? And who is this Maria?" All the questions Shadow asked himself gave him a headache because no matter what he couldn't remember anything.

The sun finally disappeared and lights began to flicker on in the buildings. In Shadow's opinion, people were mindless zombies after the sun set; then again, he figured they were probably like this all the time. When night fell over cities, people would go out to parties, get stupidly drunk, high on some sort of drug, or maybe all three. Then, they'd rape or kill a helpless victim on the streets. Shadow hated humans, he really did, and only saw them as unintelligent, wasteful beings who only followed the "majority". There was only one human in Shadow's mind that cared—well, it seemed that way—and it was that pretty blond girl in the blue dress: Maria, the sapphire-eyed girl who appeared to be angelic.

One image of her was stuck in Shadow's mind: It was the one with her beautiful face full of fear as she got shot in the chest. Then, she fell to the floor, flat on her back, with blood seeping through her beautiful blue gown. She'd gasp and form words that Shadow couldn't understand and then he'd snap back to the present. _Those soldiers did it. But why? Why did they hurt that girl? Who were they? _

Suddenly, the clear blue sky got shrouded with red ugly clouds and dark creatures fell from the sky and into the city. Car crashes, screams, explosions, and gunshots were heard. Shadow stood at the top of the hill when he saw black smoke rising from the area. For the first time in his life, he felt the urge to help the humans, but then, he turned his back on them.

"Hmph, look at how pitiful they are," he muttered to himself. "I don't have time for these humans."

Just as he turned to walk away, he heard his name being called, and like a dog, he started at the sound of it. He turned and came face to face with a tall, menacing creature with yellow-cat eyes. "Shadow…As you can see, the day of reckoning will soon be here. Find the seven Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me as promised."

Shadow was taken aback by this command. How dare someone order him around, especially something he just met!

"Who are you and how do you know I'm Shadow…and what are you talking about?"

The alien eyed him contemplatively. "Hmm…It would seem that you do not remember anything about yourself."

Shadow just stood, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"If you do as I say, then I will tell you about your past, and your creator."

Before Shadow could protest, the alien disappeared like an illusion. "If he knows the truth about who I am," said Shadow thoughtfully, "then like it or not, I have to believe him. The only way I'm going to get the secrets to my past is to get those Chaos Emeralds!" Without a second thought, Shadow dashed off on his hover shoes and into the war zone that was Westopolis.

(Miriam POV)

I got home from school but something weird was happening: The sky was turning blood-red and strange things fell from the clouds like rain. It looked like the whole city was on fire and buildings were getting destroyed. Was it terrorists like in the year 2001? Surely, terrorists from the Middle East couldn't blow up the whole city like that. My eyes widened with fear when I saw the terrorists heading to our suburb.

I leaned up against a wall and slid down it, going into a sitting position. I tucked my legs into my chest and rested my chin on my knees and closed my eyes, praying for this to be a horrible nightmare. What woke me from my prayers was my cell phone buzzing against my leg. I slid it open and placed it to my ear. Mom's anxious voice nearly deafened me but I could hear explosion from the other side.

"Miriam," she said in a rapid voice, "stay in the house. Do not go outside! Do you understand me? The president ordered an evacuation so get your stuff ready for when I come to pick you up, okay?"

"Okay," I answered shakily, "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, baby," she said tearfully before hanging up.

Recovering from my shell-shock, I ran upstairs and began gathering things in a duffel. I packed my laptop, my iPod, three pairs of clothes, a First Aides kit, and my feminine things just in case we stayed in evacuation for more than a month. With great reluctance, I had to leave my books, bed, and TV behind because it would slow us down. I closed my eyes to prevent the tears from rolling down my cheeks. As soon as I got ahold of myself, I grabbed the duffel and ran back downstairs.

I nearly had a heart attack when I heard a loud bang outside our house and when I looked out there I saw…aliens. They were red and black and had creepy feline-like eyes. Suddenly, I remembered something: the beautiful jewel my dad gave me for my birthday. Setting my duffel down, I hurried back upstairs, searched through my underwear drawer, and found the purple jewel my dad gave me. I tucked it safely in my pocket and ran back downstairs to find the aliens had broken through the window.

Grabbing my duffel, I ran outside, ignoring what my mom had told me, and proceeded to run down the sidewalk in hope to find evacuation. I wasn't in shape and my legs started to get heavy but I knew I had to keep running or else I would probably get killed by those monsters. The sky was still crimson so I couldn't tell if it was night time or not. Being directionally challenged, I had no idea where I was but I continued running.

I stopped to catch my breath but I was instantly knocked off my feet and fell to the pavement painfully. Tears burned my eyelids as I struggled to get up but when I saw the aliens approaching me, I ducked down and went into turtle position. I waited for them to harm me but it never came so I opened my eyes and saw…a black-and-red hedgehog? He looked over his shoulder at me with an intense look in those blood-red eyes. He resembled those aliens but there was something different about him.

His fins were black with red streaks going down them and he had peach skin for where his mouth, cheeks, and chin were. He held a shotgun in his hand and had a scowl on his face. His arms were black with slight red streaks and he wore white gloves on his hands. What kept those gloves secure were the golden rings and black wristbands. He wore these weird shoes but I didn't care about those.

"Stupid human…" he mumbled before turning his back on me and starting to walk away.

"Wait a minute," I called out to him, trying to keep up. "Who are you, and why did you help me?"

He turned and faced me with that same scowl. "My name is Shadow the Hedgehog and the reason I saved you was because you have a Chaos Emerald."

"You mean this purple jewel in my pocket?" I asked, pulling the gem out.

"Yes," he answered, nodding. "Now give it here."

"No," I said, holding it to my chest. "My dad gave me this for a birthday present—or should I say, his last birthday present." Tears pricked at my eyelids but I blinked them away. Why was I getting so emotional?

"Doesn't matter," he replied, swiping it out my hand before I could even say anything. "I need this to regain my memories."

I frowned as I just realized the gem was taken. "You can't do this!" I cried, trying to grab it but he just leaned away from my advances. "You can't just steal my gift!"

"I believe I just did," he retorted callously. "Follow me if you want to find a safe place. I'll help you but just this once."

Before I could argue, he scooped me up bridal style and ran off with me in his arms. Feeling the wind on my face made me shiver so I snuggled into him for warmth and wrapped my arms around his neck so I wouldn't fall out of his arms if he accidently bumped into something. He had my duffel on his back so I was assured that he would keep it safe. Feeling weary, I closed my eyes and blocked out the sound of the explosions to fall asleep. I was safe—for now.

…

What felt like minutes later, I sat up and looked around to see myself in a bed with a red blanket over me. Shadow was leaning up against one of the walls with his arms crossed and his head inclined as if in prayer. His head snapped up and he looked at me curiously before approaching me. I saw that his red eyes were full of fire and fury and I involuntarily shivered. I didn't feel safe around Shadow because he looked like he wanted to kill me but he didn't advance towards me in a threatening way.

"It's about time you woke up," he said dryly. "I almost thought you died in your sleep."

I was at a loss for words. Did he just make a joke?

"Well, I didn't," I replied dryly, frowning. "Did my mom call at all?"

"Yes," said Shadow, holding the mobile in his hand. "She left you a voice message saying that she would be with you soon."

"When was that?" I asked anxiously, setting my feet on the ground.

"Two hours ago," he answered smoothly, tossing me the mobile.

"Oh, God…" I breathed, clenching the mobile in my hand as I stood up and ran to the door.

As soon as I yanked it open, I was face to face with one of those aliens but this one was bigger and it looked hungry for fifteen year old girl flesh.

_**A/N: I've always wanted to do a Sonic fanfic since I was young but just couldn't find the words. My first fanfic was actually a Sonic one but I never put up since it sucked and it was kinda stupid now that I look back on it. ;) R&R!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Worse Than a Tim Burton Horror Film!

As the alien and I stood face to face, I let out a loud shriek that alerted Shadow, who pulled out a machine gun and pushed me out of the way. My eyes widened when I saw him shoot the monster repetitively until it fell to the ground in green goop. Adrenaline and fear pumped through my veins as I gazed at the black hedgehog. Where did he get a gun, and most importantly, would he shoot me if I did anything wrong? I began to panic because of the situation we were in and the fact that Shadow had a gun. I felt like I was going to throw up—I didn't have a strong stomach.

"Oh, calm down," said Shadow briskly as he stashed the gun in his fins (or should I say, the black hole of nowhere). "I wouldn't waste a bullet on you. I'm only using these to kill my enemies."

"Who are your enemies?" I asked shakily, staring at the green goo on the ground.

"The ones who get in my way," he answered coldly, grabbing me by the wrist tightly.

We began running through the field and Shadow killed more and more aliens but here was the crazy thing: They kept reappearing! They just wouldn't die! I had never been more afraid in my life. These aliens weren't aliens; they were monsters! They kept killing people and destroying what little of the city was left. Westopolis looked like a freaking war zone: There were soldiers crowding the streets, guns and bombs going off, and aliens appearing out of nowhere. I wanted to cry but I knew Shadow wouldn't be the comforting type and what made matters worse was that my cell phone died so I had no ways to communicate with my mother if she was still alive.

As we ran through the city, I felt legs getting heavy because I wasn't that good at running and wasn't a creature like Shadow. He seemed to be getting impatient when he noticed I was slowing down so he kept tugging at my wrist as if to pull me along with him. I couldn't do this anymore: My heart was pounding so fast that I was sure it was going to burst, my legs were killing me, and my head ached with fatigue. I hadn't had any water or food since lunch earlier that day but it felt like it had been centuries.

Amidst the destruction, I pulled Shadow to a stop and resumed to catch my breath but he kept trying to pull me away again. I didn't know how much more I could take of it.

"Come on, girl," he said coldly, resuming pulling at me. "We have to run."

Despite feeling fatigued, I managed to glare at him and said, "Shadow, I can't run anymore! My legs are killing me and my head hurts! Just go on and let me die! My family's probably dead anyways! 'Sides, I'm just a useless commodity to you!"

"I never said that," retorted Shadow, crossing his arms over his chest rebelliously. "Sure, I may have thought it but I would never say that to anyone's face."

Before I could speak, a bomb went off and the explosion caused me to fall over onto Shadow, who caught me and placed me on the ground in a sitting position. Then, he ran at a coterie of aliens and shot them dead. I winced as he shot them but I didn't know if it was because of the gunshots or the aliens themselves. The panic finally settled in me and tears began spilling from my eyes. Needless to say, I was scared shitless.

I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see the explosions and aliens but opened them immediately when I felt someone scoop me up bridal style. Lo and behold, Shadow was carrying me as he darted through the city like a missile. Unfortunately for me, I had motion sickness and my stomach was somersaulting with nausea. I could only pray that I wouldn't throw up on Shadow because that would mean the death of me. To save myself from more nausea, I closed my eyes and rested my head on Shadow's shoulder for head support.

(Shadow POV)

I wasn't the cuddling type but when I saw that her face was light green, I couldn't deny her some head support. She probably had motion sickness, which was why her face was green. I never had to deal with anyone who was sick before. Rouge, a person I regarded as my friend, didn't ever get motion sickness because she could fly, for crying out loud. For now, I had to ignore the girl and pay attention to our surroundings. There were aliens spawning and explosions going off. I would have stayed to help the humans but I wasn't feeling that merciful. Instead, I sped past everyone until I bumped into a familiar blue hedgehog that was a bane of my existence.

"Hey, Shadow!" Sonic shouted over the explosions. "Long time no see! Looks like these black creatures really mean business! Let's you and me show them a thing or two!"

Sonic and I ran off and the girl was still in my arms. I could see the smirk growing on Sonic's face so I found an opening and tossed her into his open arms. Amidst the war zone, Sonic caught her like a bag of potatoes and he dashed off to find a safe place for her. I picked up another machine gun and began shooting as many of the black creatures as I could. Sonic managed to carry the girl and kick the creatures at the same time.

After a while, we cleared up the area pretty well so Sonic gave the girl back to me and smiled at me brightly. Nothing ever put Sonic down, did it? Rolling my eyes, I replaced the machine gun and collected the girl in my arms. Trembling slightly, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hid her face in my neck.

"Now, that was sweet, Shadow," he bubbled brightly.

Typical Sonic; I rolled my eyes again. "Yeah," I admitted. "Well, I'm not here to save you."

Sonic ran out from behind me to look me in the eyes. "Thought you might say something like that!" he shouted energetically. "How about a little friendly competition?" He gestured over his shoulder for a race—a race I didn't have time for.

"Don't waste my time," I sneered, turning my back to him.

Like a squid, Doom's Eye appeared next to us and stared at us intently. "We've found the third Chaos Emerald in this city. Our mission here is done. Now get going!" With that, the eye glided away and out of sight.

"Guess that means," said Sonic, smiling, "welcome to the next level! Let's go!" He jogged past me without looking back.

"Get back here!" I shouted, dashing after him while keeping a firm grip on the girl.

As we ran, I looked down at the girl and realized that I didn't know her name yet. "What's your name?" I asked, staring at her.

"M-Miriam," she stammered, holding onto me.

"Miriam," I repeated quietly, nodding. "Well, a pleasure to meet you, Miriam."

She nodded and closed her eyes again as I dashed off after Sonic.

…

After getting through the lethal highway, Sonic and I were stopped by Doom's Eye (again) and he stared us intently. I couldn't tell if he was angry or not because he didn't have a face and his voice didn't hold any emotion either.

"Hand over that Chaos Emerald or else!" I threatened him, holding one hand out to him while keeping Miriam safe.

"So," he drawled in that spine-tingling voice, "think you have a chance against ME…do you?"

I was too irritated for mind games. "Look," I said shortly, "I don't take orders…especially from you. But I'm not here to fight you, either. I'm collecting the Emeralds to find my own answers. So why don't you back off!?"

The earth began trembling violently as the Eye spoke. "You still don't know your place, do you? BLACK BULL! I summon you!"

Out of the ground came the ugliest looking pig of an alien with a big singular green slit eye and skin pincers. It smelled vile and I was sure both Sonic and I found it repulsive to look at. Miriam seemed to agree because she opened her eyes and gazed at the ugly alien.

"My God," she exclaimed, "someone must have hit this guy with the ugly stick!"

While I bit back a chuckle, Sonic burst out laughing and he shook his head. "Shadow," he giggled, "you have such a witty girlfriend."

Instead of replying, I set Miriam on the ground and held my arms up in a defensive stance. Once I was ensured Miriam was in a safe place, I readied to spring at the monster.

"Behold!" shouted the Eye. "The wrath of the Black Arms!"

The monster let out a loud roar that could have shaken the whole city.

"Woohoo!" shouted Sonic, hopping up and down excitedly. "Now we're talking! Bring it on!" Like a little school girl, he hopped around and punched the air playfully.

I shook my head, scoffed, and leapt at the monster in intent to kill it.

…

After defeating the monster, I scooped Miriam up and separated from Sonic so we could go to the next level. I stared at Miriam and wondered about her. Why did I save her, and why did she remind me of the girl that I dreamt about?

_**A/N: The end! Onto the next place…Hope you enjoy! R&R!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Circus Park and Death Ruins

(Miriam POV)

I never liked circuses. The clowns spooked the hell out of me and the place smelled…badly. The place Shadow and I went to scared me even more. Instead of cooky clowns, there were repulsive robots and creepy creatures. Shadow, who still carried me, looked around left to right as if he was looking for something important. He looked pretty antsy and irritated like he was losing his patience.

"Where's that damn Chaos Emerald?" he growled as he looked around.

I blinked rapidly because I wasn't expecting him to curse like that. Instead of telling him to watch his mouth, I simply rolled my eyes and focused on the road ahead. However, the sound of whirring propellers made the both of us look up and we saw a blue and yellow airplane, looking like it was going to crash.

"Hey, isn't that…Tails?" Shadow asked aloud, staring into the sky.

The plane hovered in the sky for a few seconds over the circus but then it plunged and landed on the ground with a loud thump. I looked to Shadow for direction but he merely shook his head and began walking forward.

"This is just too easy," he told me as he stared at the plane. "Guess it's my lucky day!"

Judging by the growing excitement in his tone, we were going to run off again. I guessed right because he dashed off in the direction of Tails's plane. Of course, I held onto Shadow like a life preserver because I was scared out of my mind. I didn't like being close to the circus but now we were going _in_!? Why me? Dear God, why me?

…

As we ran through the park, Tails, the cute little fox, hovered in the air whilst holding me so Shadow could fight and I could be safe. I was nervous but not because I was in the air. Really, I worried for Shadow's safety. Sure, he was a strong, able-bodied hedgehog but even the most strongest had their Achilles heel. Personally, I enjoyed being in the air; it meant that I was far away from the creepy creatures and repulsive robots.

"Who are you?" asked Tails, gazing at me curiously. "Are you Shadow's friend?"

"I'm Miriam," I answered, "but I don't know if Shadow and I are friends. More like acquaintances, if you will."

"Oh," he murmured in understanding, nodding his cute head slowly. "Well, I'm Miles Prower but my friends call me 'Tails'."

"I know," I replied, looking back at him. "Shadow mentioned you when we saw your plane going down."

To my surprise, Tails blushed cutely and he averted his gaze, smiling slightly. "I'm a good pilot," he said in a small voice. "It's just that…sometimes when my plane comes in contact with a Chaos Emerald, the Emerald in my plane goes crazy and it just shuts down."

"Ever heard of gasoline?" I asked, chuckling a bit. "I'm sure some decent fuel would keep your plane from just randomly falling."

"Yeah, I know," said Tails, watching Shadow as he wiped out the enemies below. "But gas costs lots of money."

I nodded. "Yes, it does," I murmured in agreement as I watched Shadow. "It's ridiculous…"

We hovered past some obstacles and finally landed on the ground next to Shadow, who grabbed me by the wrist firmly and stared at Tails neutrally. Tails's large ears folded back a bit in submission but he kept a firm gaze on Shadow to show that he didn't fear the black hedgehog.

"Thanks for watching her," mumbled Shadow as if saying that was worse than saying "damn".

A big smile grew on Tails's face and he nodded. "Sure, Shadow," he said. "She's really nice, too. Well, take care, you two, and thanks for the rings, Shadow."

Shadow mumbled in response, scooped me up bridal style, and he dashed off once again.

…

Okay, there are only so many places a girl can take. First destroyed Westopolis, then a circus, and now this, a tropical jungle! How many places did we have to go, and more importantly, how much more could I take of this? I loved traveling but there just had to be a hotel to stay at or else no bueno. Shadow seemed to be annoyed but that could be because he needed another emerald. What were Chaos Emeralds anyway, and why were they so important?

"Hey, Shadow," I said, getting the black hedgehog's attention. "Why are these emeralds so important?"

His ruby eyes met my brown ones and he said softly, "The seven Chaos Emeralds are gems of unique power. They could shift time and space and cause a super transformation. These emeralds are each their own special color and if you were to gain all seven of them, power would be yours. However, there is a little trick to these emeralds. After using them, they scatter away again. I need these emeralds so I can regain my past."

I stared at him intently, only blinking when necessary, and asked, "You lost your memory?"

He nodded silently, most likely not going to elaborate what he meant.

"How would you remember these Chaos Emeralds, though?" I asked curiously as he hopped over a land form.

"I've known about them since Rouge woke me up," he answered simply before falling silent.

I fell silent too because he most likely didn't want to talk anymore.

…

(Shadow POV)

When we finally reached the next destination of our journey, we ran into Rouge. I was surprised to see her in the jungle because she told me herself that she hated jungles. A smile grew on her face when she saw me and it grew even more when she saw Miriam in my arms. I knew that sly look in her eye; she probably thought I was on a date with Miriam. But I wasn't. I was merely being a nice person helping a girl find her family. As soon as we find her family, we would go our separate ways. I hoped it was soon because Miriam was beginning to bug me a bit.

"Hey, Shadow," said Rouge in greeting. "GUN has driven the black aliens into this jungle! Do you want to join me in helping GUN round up the last of them?"

Before she could finish her sentence, I dashed at the aliens and began smashing them into goo. It was only then that I realized that I still had Miriam in my arms but I was strong enough to knock these aliens out by kicking them. I could feel Miriam trembling like a little leaf so I tossed her to Rouge, who caught her effortlessly, and began showing the aliens that I meant business.

"I guess that's why they call you the Ultimate Life Form," remarked Rouge as she admired my offensive attacks.

The forest was full of obstacles but they were no problem for me. I leapt, attacked, and grinded on rails when needed. Rouge hovered in the air next to me, carrying Miriam along with her. Both of them seemed to be pleased that I was holding my own pretty well. As I grinded on a long rail, Rouge began making a conversation with me.  
"GUN has this area well defended," she said. "You can be sure on that. These ruins are a fine discovery. If those creatures weren't here, I'd be hunting for treasure."

In spite of Rouge making comments, I managed to wipe the area clean of aliens and she gave Miriam back to me with a grin on her face.

"Well played, Shadow," she said, nodding slightly in satisfaction. "So who is this pretty young girl? I'm Rouge the Bat. Who are you?"

"I'm Miriam," answered the girl quietly. "Uh, Shadow's a friend of mine."

"Really," remarked Rouge, smirking now. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend, Shadow."

Heat flooded my face and I turned away in humiliation. "She is not my girlfriend, Rouge," I replied tersely. "She's just a friend. She got separated from her family so I agreed to help her find them; plain and simple."

"Uh-huh," said Rouge disbelievingly. "Well, see you two later. I've got work to do." With that, she flew off out of sight and I shook my head.

Was Rouge always this annoying to be around?

…

As we began venturing deeper into the jungle, we were stopped by Doom's Eye. He seemed pretty pissed to me so I decided to annoy him further.

"Having a little trouble with these GUN agents, are we?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"What a pitiful bunch…" said Doom's Eye emotionlessly.

"What did you say?" I demanded, setting Miriam down so I could clench my fist.

"We're not here to exterminate these poor creatures," elaborated the Eye, floating there in front of both of us. "On the contrary…"

"What are you saying?" I demanded, tensing up once again and placing my arm in front of Miriam protectively.

"All will be revealed…tomorrow," remarked Eye, eyeing the girl.

"Tomorrow?" Miriam finally had the guts to speak out to him but he ignored her.

"Shadow," he said to me, "you should rest. You need to be ready for tomorrow's ritual." With that, he flew off but Black Bull came out again.

I tensed into a battle position but Miriam let out a disgusted groan. "Ew, not him again!" she cried, recoiling like it spit acid on her. "Like the movie, I'm gone with the wind." She hid behind a platform of land so she would be safe.

"You scum!" I shouted to the alien. "You're going down!"

It roared in response and I leapt at it, ready to strike.

…

After knocking the monster down again, I found Miriam and scooped her up in my arms again. We both disappeared in Chaos Control and we ended up further into the jungle. We were in one of Eggman's arms unit. I looked around to see if it was safe and took Miriam's hand in mine so she could feel a sense of security but before we could move closer, I heard the familiar whirring of a ship. Lo and behold, a red ship came up next to us and that familiar blue hedgehog was perched on it.

"What's up, Shadow, Miriam?" he asked, smiling brightly.

"Not you again," I groaned irritably, shaking my head in annoyance.

"Nice to see you too," he replied, smiling even more. "Looks like those black creatures are headed out to space. We're on our way to the ARK, so I guess that means we're going too!"

"ARK…" I repeated, and something in my head twitched because that sounded familiar to me.

"Come on," said Sonic, interrupting my thoughts, "let's go! Next stop, the ARK!"

I looked over my shoulder at Miriam, who shrugged slightly. I didn't want her to go into space because she was a human and she could get harmed from being out of Earth. She didn't seem to fear though, but her look was neutral. Finally, I nodded and led her onto the ship. All I could think was, _Here we go. Highway to hell…_as we flew off.

_**A/N: Finally, another chapter down! I hope you enjoy it! R&R!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Memories and Confidences

(Shadow POV)

As I walked around the ship, I found a Chaos Emerald in the power unit in the ship and smirked to myself. There was no one around: Sonic was probably chatting with Tails and Miriam was probably taking a nap. My smirk grew even more and I touched the glass container that held the Emerald.

"A Chaos Emerald?" I questioned in a gleeful tone. "You've got to be kidding me, guys! This is like taking candy from a baby, which is fine by me!"

Without a second thought, I balled my fist and punched through the glass firmly. I scooped up the jewel and smiled widely. My eyes glowed with the jewel but then my joy was cut short when the alarm went off. As I stared at the revolving red alarm light, I heard that sweet voice that I only knew in my memories.

_"Shadow, help me!" the sweet girl's voice cried._

(Flashback)

_"Maria?" I asked, turning around to see the beautiful blond girl in the blue dress before me. _

_ "Please, Shadow, I need your help!" cried Maria with her big blue eyes gazing imploringly into me. "My grandfather's experiments…something's gone horribly wrong!" She took my hands in both of her small ones and tears filled her eyes. _

_ Concern welled up in my chest and I gave her hands a comforting squeeze with my own. "What is it?" I asked anxiously._

_ "The research lab…" she answered, "it's going to be destroyed. Something must be done! Please, Shadow, I beg you! Help grandfather and those aboard the ARK! Please!" _

_ I nodded in determination. "I'll be there, Maria," I swore whole-heartedly. "I swear, whatever it takes, I'll take care of the ARK and the professor!"_

_ When I blinked, I was doing an adventure with Maria. I destroyed Chaos monsters and healed the researchers, just as she wanted me to. But it was all bittersweet. Something in my chest hurt when I realized that I wouldn't be able to stay with her like I wanted to. After finishing my mission, I blinked and was back in the present. _

(Present time)

When I opened my eyes, I saw Miriam staring at me anxiously with wide brown eyes and she took one of my hands in her small ones. She bent down a bit to look me in the eyes and began speaking to me gently like Maria used to before she…died. The word left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Are you all right, Shadow?" she asked softly. "You zoned out on us for a minute there. I was worried about you. Are you feeling okay?"

The concern in her tone touched me because no one, other than Maria, worried about me like this. It wasn't something I was used to but I liked it all the same. I didn't know why but Miriam made me feel a stirring I'd never felt before. What was it, this warm, fuzzy feeling? Why did Miriam only evoke it? Was this a memory?

"I'm fine, Miriam," I replied shortly. "I could ask the same of you, though. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she answered, nodding slowly. "We all are. Tails managed to regain control of the ship and we're now landing on the ARK safely. Good thing Tails is a good pilot…" She trailed off, gazing into a random corner of the room.

"Yeah," I agreed, nodding once but keeping my gaze on her. Suddenly, there was something inside of me that shifted. I no longer felt irritation towards her but compassion and emotion that I didn't know existed. For some reason, she seemed like an angel to me.

"Shadow," she said thoughtfully. "I never thought about this but thanks for saving me the other day. You truly saved my life. I thought I was going to die had it not been for you. You truly are my saving grace—an angel." Her voice sounded so innocent and sweet that I almost believed her but I knew I wasn't an angel or a hero like she thought.

"I'm no angel, Miriam," I replied quietly, inclining my head a bit. "For all I know, I could be a demon spawned by those disgusting Black Arms…"

"You're not," she said firmly, grasping my hands in hers. "You saved me, you helped out Sonic and his friends, and you have a conscience, unlike those creatures from hell. You're my friend, Shadow. Even if everyone goes against you, I will always be there for you and I'll always remain by your side. I swear to God I will. Remember that, please…" Her voice was now above a whisper that I couldn't deny her.

"I will," was my answer and I started to walk away but before I did, she pulled me into a tight hug that made me feel warm from my head to my toes. How was this happening?

I closed my eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. Memories of Maria came back to me but they didn't plague me like before. With Miriam around, I felt like my mind could be at peace from the demons it projected. I felt safe with her…even though the Black Arms were preparing to destroy everyone and everything. The warmth of Miriam's softly feminine body made me feel sated like there was nothing to worry about. Safe and sound, that's how I felt.

(Miriam POV)

As I laid my head down that night, I closed my eyes and almost immediately thoughts of Shadow whirled through my mind like a hurricane. I could see his smirks, his bright red eyes, hear his seductive drawl of a voice, and feel his heart beat next to mine. For a moment, I didn't care whether I found my family or not. I wanted Shadow to be my family, although he'd probably give me a look of mingled shock and disgust if I told him. It probably wouldn't work out, though, because he was a hedgehog and I was a human. That was a sin in itself, even if the animal was a willing and verbal participant. Despite being an anamorphic creature, Shadow was still a hedgehog who couldn't love me even if we both wanted it.

I shifted on my side, trying to rid my stomach of an uncomfortable burning sensation I felt. I took a few deep breaths and then laid flat on my back. IT didn't help; I got up out of bed and ran to the closest bedroom I could find. As soon as I walked into it, I leant over the toilet and began getting violently ill. My retching sounds must have woken the whole ship because both Shadow and Sonic were at my side in thirty seconds flat. I felt Shadow's warm hand on my clammy, cool back and got comforted by him, which made it a lot easier to barf into the toilet. Sonic left the room because he complained that throw up wasn't his strongest point. Good, he didn't need to see me throwing up…

Oh, God, was this what death or being poisoned felt like? I felt that with every up-chuck that I was dying slowly and painfully but that was an exaggeration because it wasn't common for people to die due to the flu. I wasn't even sure that it was the flu because I wasn't running a temperature (that I knew of) and my stomach didn't ache (that much). Because of how gross and tired I felt, I began crying pitifully; luckily all the tears fell into the toilet so I wouldn't have to wipe them off of Shadow's chest.

"Shh," I heard Shadow murmur gently as he rubbed soothing circles into my waist and back. "It's okay. It's going to be okay…I'm right here…you'll be okay…I've got you…Shadow's got you…"

Part of me wanted to laugh because he was talking to me like a baby but I couldn't manage it because I got even more nauseous. I felt like dying but I knew I wasn't going to, not when Shadow took care of me.

…

I must have fell asleep because I woke up in my bed with a pan spooned between my armpit. When I looked around, I saw that the place was void of Sonic, Tails, and Shadow. They must have gone on the ARK without me. I wondered what was on the ARK so I sat up to leave the ship. Surprisingly, I didn't feel nauseous or weak so I stood up and walked out of my room. True to my word, the ship was parked up against the ARK. Fortunately, the gangplank was still out and I crossed it, unhesitant. Underneath me was about millions of yards of open space but I managed to cross the gangplank without falling.

…

(Third Person POV)

Tails went into Miriam's room to check on the said girl but then he noticed the bed was empty! Oh, no! Where could she had gone? Sonic and Shadow would go through the roof if they found out he lost her. How do you lose a woman!? Before Tails could panic more, he took off running to the gangplank to fine Shadow and Sonic. This wasn't good! This was not good!

"SONICCCCC!" Tails cried as he ran into the ARK. "Miriam's gone!"

The bad thing was, the ARK was big and full of hidey-holes. It would take the whole army to find a girl in that big space station!

_**A/N: Cliffhanger! Where Miriam is, even I don't know! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! R&R! Don't worry, the romance will kick in soon enough!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Shadow's Resolve

(Flashback)

_It was that memory again: The one where Maria died and Shadow couldn't do anything to help her. As he stared out the glass capsule, he saw the blond girl fall to ground on her stomach and her blue eyes glazed over with her imminent death. He spoke out to her but she wouldn't hear him. She looked up at Shadow pleadingly and began speaking to him in a breathless, weak tone. _

_"Please," she cried. "Shadow…I need your help! Everyone's fate depends on…YOU!" She lifted up a hand as if to touch the capsule but it was too much for her weak body. _

_ "MARIA!" cried Shadow as the capsule dropped and he never saw her alive again. _

_ It was now known: Maria had died for something she didn't do. She was an innocent girl who did nothing wrong but now it was too late…She would never laugh, cry, or smile ever again._

(Flashback end)

"Maria…" Shadow murmured as he opened his eyes, mentally returning to present time.

Both he and Sonic were running through the ARK in search of those monsters but so far they found nothing. Suddenly, Sonic looked up and saw the Black Comet falling near the ARK. His eyes widened when he realized what it was and he got Shadow's attention by speaking.

"Shadow!" he shouted anxiously. "Look…up there!"

The two hedgehogs both stopped in their steps and Shadow followed Sonic's cue to look up. Burning like a miniature sun, the Black Comet drifted by the ARK. Shadow had never seen it before but it felt somewhat familiar to him like he had been there before. Had he been? What was it?

"What is that?" he asked quietly, eyes widening in shock.

Sonic adopted the "college-historian professor" tone as he answered Shadow's question. "Once every fifty years, that Black Comet passes by this planet." He giggled a bit before continuing. "Oh? Do you think those black creatures are somehow connected to that comet?"

A blistering headache hit Shadow at full blast and he fell to his knees, hand on his temples as if to ease the pain. He could hear the concern in Sonic's tone when the blue hedgehog asked if he was okay so he stood up and looked up at that comet again.

"I think you're right…" Shadow gasped out. "I feel it…They're up there."

Standing to his full height, Shadow clenched his fists and glared daggers at the comet. "That's where the answers are," he continued. "I've got to get up to that comet!" With that, Shadow spun on his heel and ran off in a different direction.

Sonic turned and followed him with great precision but not before his wrist communicator went off. Tails was trying to reach him, he realized. When he pressed the answer button, he heard Tails speak to him in an anxious tone.

_"Sonic, Miriam's gone!" _cried Tails' voice anxiously.

"Gone!?" repeated Sonic, alerting Shadow. "What do you mean, gone!?"

_"She's not on the ship! I've checked through the ARK the best I can but I don't know where else to look! The ARK's too big!" _

"Dammit!" Sonic cursed, clenching his fist. "Tails, go back to the ship! Shadow and I will find her, okay?"

_"Okay. I'm sorry I lost her. It's all my fault…" _

"No it's not," replied Sonic. "It's most likely she went looking for me and Shadow. We'll find her. I swear we will! Be careful, okay, Tails! I'll contact you if we need you!"

_"Right, see you, Sonic! Good luck with finding Miriam!" _With that, the transmission was cut and Sonic shut his communicator.

"I've got bad news, Shadow," Sonic announced sheepishly. "Um, Miriam…went…missing…"

Fear and fury burned in Shadow's chest and he stopped running in mid-step to turn back and look at Sonic. "WHAT!?" demanded Shadow furiously. "She went MISSING!? How do you lose a girl!?"

"You forget to cherish her," was Sonic's smart-ass response. "Let's split up. You look that way, and I'll look this way."

"Right," said Shadow, nodding once. "Then, we'll rendezvous back here!" With that, both hedgehogs ran off in opposite directions to find Miriam.

_Miriam, please be okay, _Shadow prayed mentally. _I don't know what I'd do if I lose you too…_

(Miriam POV)

Okay, I would probably need a map of the ARK because the place was bigger than Disneyland and California Adventure put together. Every room and hall looked the same except for the difference of formation. There were many computers and monitors that showed where I was but it didn't exactly say "you are here" like most maps should. I was smart with some functions on computers but the maps confused the hell out of me because it showed neither the level nor the floor I was on. Whoever designed the maps must have been an idiot…

The sound of heavy footsteps on the metal floor caused the hair on my neck to stand on end and I looked over my shoulder to see three big aliens staring at me hungrily. My reaction was natural; I ducked behind the aliens and ran out the door they entered through. A few seconds into my running, I realized that the creatures were following me. I was screwed: I would get tired but the creatures wouldn't because they were aliens.

As I ran, I tripped over a wooden crate and kicked it. Various weapons spilled out on the floor and I picked up a gun, brandishing it threateningly. When the aliens caught up to me, I aimed it at them but didn't fire because I didn't know how to work a gun. I was just bluffing.

"Back!" I screamed, aiming the gun at them. "Back! Back!"

Seeing as I was frightening them, I felt victorious and I laughed in hysterical joy but continued screaming at them to stay back. Suddenly, a loud bang caused me to look up and I saw an alien the size of the Hulk staring at me with those yellow-cat eyes. I paled, feeling more helpless than ever.

"Uh-oh," I squeaked out when I saw the Hulk staring at me. "Nice alien…friendly alien…please don't kill me…"

It came towards me, brandishing its large blaster, and hissed at me threateningly. I gulped, dropped the gun, turned on my heel, and ran as fast as I could. A few rooms in, my legs began to get heavy and my lungs felt like they were going to explode but I didn't stop running. I couldn't because I would get killed if I let those aliens catch me but I nearly fell into plasma so I skidded to a stop and tried to catch my breath.

When I saw more aliens come at me, I dropped to my knees and closed my eyes, awaiting the impact. I couldn't fight against these creatures because there were more of them then there were of me and they were stronger than I was. Even if I tried to fight them, I wouldn't have lasted long; they would have killed me in the most painful way possible. Tears burned in my eyes when I thought of my family, my friend, and Shadow. My family, who I loved and missed so much, my friends, hopefully safe and well, and Shadow, my hero who never got to hear of my feelings for him. It made no difference because I was going to die.

_I love you all,_ was my last thought towards everyone I knew and loved before it came.

(Shadow POV)

I dashed through the ARK looking for Miriam and my heart plunged anxiously when I didn't see any sign of her. Could she have been dead, or worse? Had Black Doom taken her prisoner and tortured her to death? Where was she? I felt more and more sick when I couldn't see her but I couldn't give up. I had to find her. I made a promise to her that I would help her find her family…

As I ran, I heard a loud shriek that sounded just like Miriam and I took off in the direction it came from. That scream gave me a bad sinking feeling in my stomach because she could have been hurt or dying from those demons. When Maria died, she made no noise except painful gasps and that made me feel worse than stomach flu but when I heard Miriam scream, I knew something was horribly wrong and it gave me the worse stomach pains.

I dashed into the room the scream came from and I found Miriam on the ground, eyes closed and pale as a sheet. At first I thought she was just unconscious but then I noticed the bloody wound that came from her stomach and feared for the worse. Ignoring the creatures that surrounded her, I ran over to her, crouched down, and shook her shoulder lightly.

"Miriam," I said to her urgently as I shook her shoulder. "Miriam, wake up."

My worst fears were realized: she didn't move or utter a sound as I shook. Could she have been…?

"Miriam!" I finally cried out, shaking her rougher. "Miriam, please…" Tears pooled my eyes as I said the words I had been keeping inside. "Miriam, please…I love you. Miriam, I love you so much…"

She didn't move. Fury, hurt, and devastation burned in my chest when I realized that she wouldn't wake up again. As I thought of her, the tears poured down my cheeks and I felt a red aura surround my body—the Chaos Blast. I pulled out my gun and glared at the aliens murderously. The fury pounded in my temples as I glared at them and I couldn't hold it anymore. I ran at them, shouting curses out at them.

"DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE ME!" I shouted, charging the power up in me.

Once I finally had the aliens where I wanted them, I leapt up in the air and charged the energy up in my chest. A burning sensation filled me as soon as I released all the pent-up energy that was created by my sorrow and all the aliens fell to the ground, disappearing in green goop. I landed on my feet but it wasn't enough for me. More tears poured down my cheeks and I began screaming and crying like a toddler. Out of all the emotion I was feeling, I began shooting at random things in the room to rid myself all of the pain I felt.

Finally, I grew tired and fell to my knees, breathing heavily like I overexerted myself. I got to my feet, walked over to Miriam's lifeless body, and fell to my knees again. Gathering her limp form in my arms, I began sobbing like a lost child and held her tightly. I cried for her, for myself, for her friends, and for the family that would never see their fifteen year old girl again. Never. It was too late…

"Miriam," I whispered shakily when I managed to get ahold of myself, "I'm so sorry…I should have never have taken you on this journey. I knew it was dangerous…Please, forgive me…It's all my fault…"

Desolate, I began sobbing even more, allowing my body to shake and tremble. I didn't need to calm myself because there was nothing left. She was gone…forever, just like Maria. I hated life. I hated it all. I wanted the pain to end. I wanted all the death and suffering to end. There was only one way to end it, I realized, and that way was by killing Black Doom and ending him forever.

Resolutely, I stood up, gathered Miriam's limp body in my arms, and walked out of the room, leaving it behind.

…

When I reached Sonic, he looked at Miriam and then to me as if wondering if she was alive so I shook my head in response. Sonic's reaction wasn't an expected one because he was always so happy and go-lucky: His face contorted with grief and he fell to his knees, pounding the ground with his fist. I couldn't see his tears but I knew he was crying because his form was trembling like mine was earlier.

"Damn them," he gasped out furiously. "Damn them all to hell…"

I was slightly surprised because Sonic rarely ever cursed. He must have been in real pain if he said those words, unlike me. I cursed when I felt like it because I could but not enough words could describe the revulsion, anger, and grief I held in my heart. Those creatures would pay…they would pay for all the lives they had taken and the pain they had caused.

"I'm going to kill him…" I growled to Sonic, prompting the blue hedgehog to look up at me. "Black Doom will pay! HE'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

Sonic nodded, stood to his feet, and gave me a serious look. "Let's go then," he said gravely. "That bastard will pay for all the lives he had taken. It's over for him!"

The two of us took off running to Tails' ship with a new resolve to kill Black Doom.

…

As expected, Tails wept when he saw Miriam's limp body but he took her into her room and placed her on the bed gently. I closed my eyes to prevent the onslaught of tears and walked out of her room sadly. Sonic, Tails, and I shared a look and we nodded. It was time to fight Black Doom and send him back to where he belonged. Hell was where he was going, and I couldn't find a fitting place for that evil bastard.

_**A/N: *Ducks behind Shadow for protection* You're all probably going to kill me for doing that but don't worry! It will all end up well! You'll see, promise! R&R!**_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A Date With the Devil

As soon as Sonic and I broke into the Black Comet, we began dashing through it a breakneck speed and striking down any alien that got in our way. I grabbed a gun and shot down all the enemies. I didn't care how many aliens were going down; all that mattered was that justice was being served for what they did to Miriam. Sonic and I jumped, dodged, and attacked many aliens until they were all green goop.

Finally, we reached the alter where Black Doom was. The alien was expecting us, I could tell, but I didn't care. He would pay for all the lives he had taken and the suffering he had caused.

"You've done well, Shadow," said Black Doom, staring at me. "I'm very impressed you made it this far…"

"Black Doom," I announced loudly, "your rule ends here, and it ends now!"

Sonic finally spoke up. "So you're the one behind this," he said angrily. "Like it or not, this game is over!"

Black Doom chuckled ominously. "Fools!" he growled. "The Black Arms are more than superior…we are perfect! Do you really think you have a real chance of defeating us!? Hahahaha…"

"It's YOU who should be scared, Black Doom!" I shouted angrily. "I made a promise to Maria to save the planet she loved so much…and I WILL!"

"Then get ready to die," hissed Black Doom. "Let me show you the ultimate power in the universe!"

I clenched my fists tightly and glared at him heatedly when I thought back to Miriam. "You'll pay for what you've done to Miriam!" I screamed, pulling my gun out. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Black Doom merely snorted in response. "That girl had it coming to her," he said carelessly. "She was an interference and I had to exterminate her. Why would you care? She was nothing but a feckless human…"

Fury burned in my chest and my heart began pounding violently. "I LOVED HER!" I cried, trembling with an approaching Chaos Blast. "I STILL LOVE HER!"

The creature gave me a bald look. "Now I will show you how pitiful you inferior life forms are!"

Sonic and I dashed off to collect rings as Black Doom hovered around the area looking for an opening. Adrenaline pumped in my veins and I hopped onto and under land forms.

"This is it!" shouted Sonic excitedly. "Let's end this once and for all!"

Before Sonic could speak further, I leapt off the land form and did a homing attack on Black Doom but it was a false movement because I got knocked down to the ground. The wounds hurt like hell but I got back on my feet and ran next to Sonic.

"Attacks won't work on his body!" Sonic yelled to me. "Aim for a weak point!"

The fight raged on and I kept striking for any weak point I could find. A few times, I got knocked down to my knees but I'd get back up again and striking him once more. Seeing as he wouldn't stay still for his life, I powered up a Chaos Control and froze him. I kicked, punched, and shot at Black Doom. Eventually, he broke free from the Chaos Control and began striking at me some more. Fury pounded in my temples; I couldn't, wouldn't, give up! I would never give up! Finally, after a long, exhausting battle, Black Doom fell to the ground, defeated.

"Grah!" he groaned as he fell. "Y-you…This is…not over…"

Sonic and I leapt down next to him and I took the Chaos Emerald from him. A fresh power surged in my body and I felt more satisfied than I ever did.

"Maria and Miriam loved this planet," I growled to Black Doom. "I will not let you destroy it."

All the Chaos Emeralds surrounded me like how the planets circled the sun and I felt another surge of power within my heart. Finally it was over!

"Finally…" I said, "I have all the Chaos Emeralds!"

Black Doom struggled to get up but he couldn't; good, he was in pain.

"Shadow!" he hissed warningly. "This isn't over yet! The Black Arms will rise again…"

I said nothing but glared at him hatefully. The bastard would be sent back to hell where he belonged. Sonic walked over to me and smiled.

"Let's do this!" he announced, clenching his fists.

"I'm Shadow the Hedgehog," I said loudly, "and I made a promise I intend to keep. With the power of these Emeralds, Black Doom and his army are finished! This is who I am!"

Sonic nodded proudly. "Hell, yeah," he said joyfully.

It was over but one thing brought me back to the present. Miriam…I turned on my heel and ran out of the Black Comet with Sonic right behind me.

…

(Third Person POV)

When the two hedgehogs arrived to Tails' space ship, Shadow went to Miriam's room and, as expected, found the dead girl on her bed, unmoving. He put a hand to her cheek and the power of the Emeralds circled around him. He closed his eyes and he felt the power of the Emeralds floated into Miriam's still body. Shadow waited for a few seconds but realized it was hopeless. Feeling tears burn his eyes, Shadow fell to his knees, placed a hand on her cheek, and pressed his lips to hers.

Even though her lips were cold, Shadow still felt a warm glow in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer so she could feel his heart beating. After a few seconds, he released her and stepped away, watching her closely. Closing his eyes to prevent an onslaught of tears, Shadow turned to leave but a soft gasp stopped him in his steps and he whirled around. Miriam's eyelids twitched a bit and her fingers curled and uncurled. Shadow's heart began pounding violently in his chest.

"M-mom," she whimpered, opening her eyes. "I wanna ride the pony…"

Before Miriam could mumble anymore, Shadow ran to her and gathered her in his arms. A soft groan escaped her lips as Shadow squeezed her tightly but after a while, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close. The two were wrapped in a tight embrace and they smiled happily. More tears of joy ran down Shadow's face as he pressed kisses to her hair, forehead, and cheeks.

"What's wrong?" asked Miriam, becoming more aware of what was going on around her. "Shadow, why are you crying?"

Shadow lifted his face up so he could look her in the eyes and she could see the tears streaking his cheeks. What happened?

"You died…" he gasped desolately, trembling. "I found you aboard the ARK, dead…What were you doing?"

Miriam thought back to what she last saw and heard. "Well, I went looking for you and Sonic but I got lost in the ARK and got attacked by aliens. They chased after me and I tried to get away but they cornered me in one of the labs. The last thing I remember is falling on the ground and my side and back were stinging. My vision began to blur so I closed my eyes to go to sleep and now I woke up here."

"Y-you weren't asleep," stammered Shadow as he regained control of himself. "You actually died…"

"Then how did I come back to life?" she asked, cocking her head.

"I think I know," said Tails, walking in with Sonic. "When all the Chaos Emeralds are gathered together, you can control time and space and have a super transformation. Apparently, the feelings in Shadow's heart were so strong that he managed to revive Miriam of her life. It's still kinda confusing so I don't understand it all well."

"It was love," supplied Sonic seriously, crossing his arms over his chest. "Shadow loved Miriam so much that he managed to give her life with the Emeralds."

"Love?" repeated Miriam, staring at Shadow.

Shadow could no longer deny it; he closed his eyes and nodded his head slightly. "Yes, love," he replied quietly. "I love you, Miriam."

"Y-you do?" she managed to squeak out. "But h-how…w-when...?"

Shadow bowed his head a bit. "I first started feeling it before you promised that you'd be there for me. Before I knew it, I got hit by an onslaught of emotions and I knew then that I loved you…" He trailed off, unable to continue because he was embarrassed enough as it was.

When Miriam said nothing, Shadow turned to leave but a soft hand grabbed his wrist and he looked back to see Miriam staring at him in determination. "I love you too," she said shyly. "I-I first started feeling it when you came to my aid. When I saw that you didn't feel anything towards me, I just kept a lid on my emotions and just let us become friends instead. I didn't want to breach our friendship…" Before she could speak any more, Shadow captured her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

A warm glow filled both Shadow and Miriam as they stayed in their passionate embrace. It felt like they were floating in heaven where the stars were their only company. Nothing else mattered, nothing at all, except for…

"Shadow!" Tails' voice broke the emotional kiss. "Black Doom isn't done yet! He's pulling the comet towards Earth! We have to stop him!"

Shadow pulled back from Miriam, but not before giving her another kiss, and dashed out of the ship. He had to finish Black Doom…once and for all.

_Maria, _he was thinking as he ran back to the comet, _I understand now. I understand that love is important and how it should be cherished because how quickly things can change. Thank you…_

The comet was in Shadow's viewpoint and he leapt onto it, ready for the final fight.

_**A/N: Ha! Boom, baby! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's awhile to type it but here it is! Please enjoy and R&R!**_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Final Fight

(Third Person POV)

Finally, Shadow and Miriam stood together on the Black Comet, holding hands. They chatted, hugged, and kissed because they were so happy to be back together. Shadow had his hands on Miriam's face and they pressed foreheads together like they were reading each other's thoughts by that simple contact. It was wasting time but Shadow wanted to spend as much time as he wanted with Miriam until the final battle because even though he was the ultimate life form, he could still die. Despite their closeness, the Chaos Emeralds still revolved around them.

"Finally…" Shadow whispered to Miriam, "I have all the Chaos Emeralds. Now I can uncover the truth about my past. All of it…"

Miriam nodded and opened her mouth to speak but a deep, frightening voice prevented her from doing so. "Well done, Shadow," said Black Doom, emerging from the ground. "Our ritual can now commence as planned. Give me the Chaos Emeralds."

Shadow stared at Black Doom dubiously and felt Miriam's grip on his hand tighten.

"Don't," she whispered, shaking her head with a serious frown on her face.

"Shadow!" a pair of six voices cried out to him in unison, and Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, Rouge, and Dr. Eggman ran over to the couple.

"Shadow, give me the Chaos Emeralds!" Sonic shouted urgently, holding his hand out.

"Do not give the Emeralds to Black Doom, Shadow!" remarked Eggman, shaking his head.

"They're planning to destroy the planet!" shouted Rouge, eyes widening fearfully.

Shadow clenched his fist as he heard Black Doom beginning to speak. "Hahahaha…ignorant fools," he said evilly. "We're here to save the humans from their own demise. We offer…salvation."

"What?" both Shadow and Miriam demanded.

"Their greed, thirst for power, and affinity for betrayal has them on a path for self-destruction," replied Black Doom emotionlessly. "Their actions will lead them to the extinction of their species. We're here to save them from themselves…with our perfect order…allowing them to live in their desperate lives in peace. Humans are a great energy source for us…they will be well-kept."

"Wha—!" gasped Shadow, assuming a defensive position.

Miriam clenched her fist. "That's not true!" she cried angrily. "We humans may make mistakes but we learn from them and we try again! Some people may be greedy, power-hungry, betraying son of bitches but most people are good! Shadow, don't let this bastard fool you! He wants to build a pyramid and put himself on top by making us humans as slaves!"

"Let us begin our ritual of prosperity!" Suddenly, the Emeralds floated up to Black Doom and began glowing ominously. "Chaos…CONTROL!"

A bright green glow caused everyone to recoil in defense. Shadow kept his eyes open with his arms around Miriam tightly. "This can't be happening!"

The comet landed on Earth and planted itself into the city like a tree. That bode ill for everyone on Earth because the aliens were really going to destroy the planet. Miriam trembled with fear when she realized that the world would be destroyed because of the aliens. Everything would be washed away! Someone had to do something before it was too late!

"What was that?" cried Amy, placing a hand to her cheek. "What just happened!?"

Sonic answered her question. "Those black creatures just warped to comet to the surface using Chaos Control!"

"No," gasped Rouge, shocked, "that's impossible!"

"That's why you needed the Chaos Emeralds," gasped Shadow, staring at Black Doom wide-eyed.

The alien chuckled and replied, "Precisely. The comet's velocity isn't powerful enough to pass through another planet's atmosphere. The Emeralds amplify the space-time control powers Chaos Control. We need them to charge to full power. It's the perfect plan. That's why I needed the professor to help me…"

"What!?" cried Shadow, looking and sounding devastated.

"That's insane!" Eggman objected vehemently.

"The professor was in development of the ultimate life force but he needed my help," explained Black Doom. "So we made a deal: I helped him and he promised to deliver me the seven Chaos Emeralds. That's how you were created, Shadow! You would help us do both!"

"Me!?" gasped Shadow, placing a hand to his chest. "I can't believe it!"

Miriam got to her knees and wrapped her arms around Shadow's neck to give him support. "It's not true…" she denied. "He's just trying to trick you…"

"That can't be!" cried Eggman. "He betrayed his own people for research!? For Black Doom!?"

"Big deal…" replied Sonic, shaking his head. "We can't just stand here doing nothing!"

"Yeah…" replied Knuckles, nodding, "let's do this! I'll crush that cosmic rock ball!" When he punched at the air, he became frozen and couldn't move his body.

"Knuckles!" Sonic cried urgently, facing his red friend. "What's wrong!? Ughhhh!" He froze up too and couldn't move.

Suddenly, Miriam felt frozen too. She couldn't move any muscle in her body and whenever she tried to, it would hurt like hell. Her arms were unwrapped from Shadow but for some reason she couldn't get to her feet. Like any person would, she began to panic fruitlessly.

"A special weapon," explained Black Doom in satisfaction, "this gas…once released is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. In a moment, total paralysis will hit your nervous system. The end is near now." He began laughing evilly.

Then, he summoned some parasitic aliens that went to prey off the Sonic Team, Eggman, and Miriam. Screams and shouts of fear and rejections escaped their open mouths as the aliens moved towards them. Tears began to pour down Miriam's cheeks when she saw the ugly creatures approaching them.

Various of voices and thoughts mingled in Shadow's mind and he heard Maria's voice saying, "Please help me, Shadow."

"Please help us, Shadow!" Shadow heard Miriam cry out fearfully.

His eyes snapped open and he got to his feet, crushing the closest alien with his foot. Then, he glared at Black Doom dangerously that would have given anyone the hint that he was not to be reckoned with. "I am Shadow the Hedgehog!" he announced loudly. "I have left my past behind me. No one can tell me what to do now! I will destroy you, Black Doom!"

"I gave you life," said Black Doom disgustedly, "and THIS is how you repay me! The irony of it all is…I gave you life…Now I'll take it back!" With an evil laugh, he hovered away, followed by a very pissed off Shadow.

"Shadow…" both Rouge and Miriam said.

"You're our only hope now!" shouted Sonic, hoping Shadow would hear him.

…

After a long and perilous journey, Shadow made it into the core of the comet and walked right up to Black Doom, who floated in the middle of the room confidently. The Chaos Emeralds floated over his head in a queue and he stared at Shadow with an intention to stare him down.

"Well done, Shadow," said Black Doom as Shadow walked closer to him. "You've gone farther than I expected…I'm impressed! But, you still don't understand, do you? The future we offer is the only option for these humans."

"I've heard enough!" Shadow shouted, walking to Black Doom threateningly. "You're boring me to death, Black Doom! You're going down!"

Black Doom chuckled a bit and stared at Shadow. "Such bravado for a little hedgehog! I thought you were different from the rest…but maybe not. We are more alike than you think…the same blood runs through our veins."

"This can't be…" said Shadow, shaking his head in denial. Suddenly he felt a burning ache in his head and he pressed his hands to his throbbing temples, falling to his knees. "Just…who are YOU?"

"Don't you know?" asked Black Doom rhetorically. "You were created from my blood…"

"Wh-what!?" demanded Shadow, clenching his fist tightly.

"That's right," replied Black Doom, sounding like he was smirking. "You are part of me…do you feel that? I can control you…You cannot escape me…nor can you escape your past!" He laughed as he raised his hand as if to control a puppet.

"Damn you!" shouted Shadow angrily. "NO, it's not true!"

As Shadow was on his knees, a familiar voice made him look up. "Shadow, my son."

"Professor...?" asked Shadow, lifting his head up.

"What is this!?" demanded Black Doom as three screens came around the room.

On the fuzzy screen, Professor Gerald appeared on the screen but the picture appeared choppy. "If you're listening to this then the worst has happened…you need to know the truth. The government plans to shut down the research facility. The government plans to cease all our research…and imprison all who know about you. I made a terrible mistake, Shadow. It's all my fault…making contact with that comet. Now, listen very carefully…

"In 50 years, the Black Comet will return…they plan to harness its powers to destroy this planet! The only way to stop them…was to develop a way to use the very power they intended to use against them. Shadow…it's all up to YOU and only YOU can stop them! I developed the Eclipse Cannon…it's the only weapon that can destroy the Black Comet. Shadow, you are the only hope…to save mankind as we know it. The future of this planet depends on…YOU!"

Suddenly, Maria appeared on the fuzzy screen and said sweetly, "Don't worry, Grandfather. Shadow and I will protect this planet. Right, Shadow?" The blond haired girl smiled at the screen and Shadow bowed his head painfully.

"Gerald, you fool!" declared Black Doom, and the screens floated away. "Shadow is already in my control…what's this!?"

Shadow stood to his feet and glared at Black Doom lethally, clenching his fists tightly.

"Well, well, well…" said Black Doom, "seems like you're immune to my mind control."

"You have no control over me, Black Doom!" shouted Shadow, shaking his head. "I now understand why I am here…I made a promise and I'm here to keep it! Today, I put my past behind me!"

Shadow strode up to Black Doom and leapt to attack him but the alien disappeared like a hologram. "Damn!" groaned Shadow angrily, looking around.

"Have it your way, Shadow," said Black Doom's disembodied voice. "So be it…be prepared to meet your maker! Your past, present, and future ends here…TODAY! Prepare to die! Say goodbye, Shadow, as you witness my true wrath!"

Shadow lifted his hands to the sky as the Emeralds revolved around him. A fresh, new power flared up in Shadow's chest and it exploded. When he opened his eyes, he found himself engulfed in golden light and his feet were off the ground like he was floating. He was ready and determined to end Black Doom finally…like the Professor wanted him to. Looking up to the sky, Shadow soared up and went to face Black Doom.

…

It took a while but Shadow finally overwhelmed Black Doom and killed him. It was all over now but Shadow still had one thing he had to do: Get rid of that damned Comet. Still in that super form, Shadow floated under the Comet and placed his hands on it.

"Only one thing left to do…Chaos…CONTROL!" With that, the Black Comet and Shadow disappeared and they were up in outer space.

The Comet floated in space like a jellyfish floating in the ocean and the ARK began to power up with the Eclipse Cannon. The Eclipse Cannon opened and a power beam came out and hit the Comet with devastating force. Since the force was so deep, the Comet exploded in tiny pieces and flew off in various directions. The aliens were gone for good now. No more Black Arms.

…

On the surface of Earth, Sonic, his friends, Eggman, and Miriam stood in the destroyed Westopolis and smiled up to the sky. The sky was blue and the sun shined that gave everyone a sense of renewed hope that the city could be rebuilt. Tears of joy escaped Miriam's eyes as she twined her fingers as if in prayer. _God, thank You for making Shadow…Thank You…_she thought joyfully.

"YEAH! He did it!" exclaimed Tails. "The Black Comet is destroyed!"

"Shadow…" said Sonic happily, "that was SWEET!"

"I hope he's okay…" remarked Rouge worriedly, staring up at the sky.

"I'm sure he's fine, Rouge," replied Amy optimistically. "After all, he IS Shadow!"

Amidst the joy, Eggman mumbled as he began to sneak away, "How about giving me back those Chaos Emeralds now?"

Unfortunately for him, Knuckles caught him trying to creep off. "Hey!" he shouted, causing Eggman to freeze. "Get back here, you creep!"

Knuckles engaged Eggman into a chase and Sonic and his friends and Miriam began laughing hysterically.

…

Shadow stood on the ARK, staring out the window as he held a picture in his hands. "Goodbye forever, Shadow the Hedgehog," he murmured, tossing the picture away as he walked off, leaving his past behind him forever.

_**A/N: Aaaaannnd CUT! I hope you enjoy it! I couldn't make it better because I suck at action and I'm aware of that! R&R!**_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Settling Down

A few weeks after Black Arms were destroyed, Shadow now lived with his best friend Rouge but visited Miriam on the designated hours he was allowed to. At first, Miriam's parents were a little hesitant of Shadow but then they warmed up to him when they noticed how happy they made her. He sometimes met her at school and ate lunch with her. The kids at her school would get star struck around him because he was the one that saved their world yet he always ignored them and stayed with Miriam so she wouldn't feel lonely.

Shadow didn't need a key for Miriam's house because he could use Chaos Control to transport in. Seeing as no one was home, Shadow sat on the couch, grabbed the remote, and turned the TV on. It was a stupid, brain-rotting reality show that made Shadow pick up the remote and change the channel. He settled on a station that he had no regard for and grabbed the newspaper to read up on the news. Suddenly, the front door opened and Miriam walked in with tears running down her face.

That piqued Shadow's suspicion. He got up and walked over to the crying girl. "What's wrong, Miriam?" he asked, taking one of her shaky hands in his. "Why are you crying?"

"It's nothing," she replied, brushing Shadow aside slightly. "I just had a long day at school…"

"Who's bullying you?" Shadow demanded, not allowing the subject to rest. "Who's making you feel like this?"

Despite the tears and weariness, she looked surprised and asked, "How did you know I was being bullied?"

Now Shadow looked a bit abashed. "Well, I asked Rouge to hack into your FaceBook account and saw all these horrible messages these kids have sent you. In fact, Rouge, under your profile, threatened the kids with government intervention if they didn't leave you be."

Miriam let out a groan and rested her head in her hands. "Why the hell did you do that?" she demanded irritably. "Now, these kids won't leave me alone! Sending them that message will only make them strive further into making me miserable! Thanks a lot, Shadow!"

"I'm sorry," he said softly in a way to placate her. "I just didn't like seeing you look so depressed and emancipated. These kids are tearing you apart, aren't they? Why?"

Miriam shrugged and sat down on the couch with a sigh. "These kids have never liked me," she answered. "I don't know why. I think it's because I'm a bit of a stickler for rules in class. Everyone probably feels victimized because I call them out if they misbehave during instruction time. They text, talk, and giggle about random crap no one cares about. Somehow, recently, someone got ahold of my phone number and they've been sending me harassing messages."

"Let me see," said Shadow, holding his hand out for the phone.

Reluctantly, Miriam reached into the pocket of her jeans and handed Shadow her cell phone. He slid it open and read all the harassing messages in her inbox. Just reading them made him nauseous because they kept calling her a "bitch" and telling her to "go die". He had to resist the urge to crush her cell phone because she would get pissed if he crushed it so he handed it back to her silently.

"Have you gone to the police about this?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"What would they do?" she asked, shrugging. "It would only get worse…"

Shadow clenched his fists angrily and sneered a bit. "Then I'll take it to GUN and have them look on it. Don't argue with me," he added when he saw her open her mouth to argue. "I'm doing this because I love you and I don't want you to get hurt."

Miriam surrendered and nodded wearily. "Fine, take the phone to GUN. See if I care." With that, she began to raid the fridge for a snack to eat.

"Chaos Control," said Shadow, transporting out of the house to get to the GUN headquarters.

…

Shadow didn't need an appointment because he was a national hero so he was allowed in without suspicion or question. The black hedgehog walked into the GUN Commander's office, holding the cell phone, and stared at the man until they met glances. The commander, who was working on his computer, looked up and stared at Shadow, waiting for the hedgehog's words.

"Shadow, what can I do for you?" he asked calmly, shutting off his computer.

In reply, Shadow tossed his girlfriend's purple cell phone on the commander's desk and scowled darkly. "My girlfriend has been getting hassled by these kids and they won't leave her alone online. You need to do something, sir." Shadow added that title because he thought it would be respectful to do so.

The commander read the texts and his expression darkened more and more. Finally, he looked up at Shadow and said, "I'm going to give this to the agents and let them start cracking down on this. Thank you for showing this to me. Cyber-bullying should not be tolerated."

Shadow nodded and turned to walk away but the commander's voice stopped him in his steps.

"Agent Rouge told me that you're looking for work," said the commander. "And seeing as how effectively you wiped out those black creatures, I've considered giving you a job as an agent. Would you like this job?"

Shadow actually smiled and said, "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I will report to duty Monday morning bright and early."

The commander smiled too. "Well, I hope you can train our future agents into fierce fighters because you are one of the best fighters I've seen, next to Sonic."

Shadow rolled his eyes at the mention of Faker but still smiled and nodded. "I take that as a compliment, sir," he said, turning to leave. "I'll see you Monday morning. Good day, sir."

"Good day, Agent Shadow," replied the commander, nodding in turn.

Shadow walked out of the office, pleased that he got a job and that Miriam's problem will be solved.

…

"So what did you do?" Miriam asked when Shadow returned; she sounded timid when she noticed Shadow's smile because he looked too happy. "You didn't kick these kids' asses, did you?"

Shadow shook his head and smiled even more broadly. "No," he answered brightly. "I actually gave the phone to Commander Towers and he gave me a job as an agent."

"Oh, my God, Shadow!" Miriam shouted excitedly, eyes glowing. "I'm so happy for you!" With that, she fell to her knees and wrapped Shadow in a tight hug.

In turn, Shadow wrapped his arms around Miriam's waist and pulled her close, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. A thrill went through his body when he felt Miriam's demure fingers running through his fins. He didn't know what it was but he wanted to…mate with Miriam and claim her as his. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and love on her until they couldn't anymore. He wanted her to be a hedgehog like him…

"What's wrong?" he heard Miriam ask when he paused on their kiss. "Why did you stop?"

"Sometimes," said Shadow quietly, "I wish you were a hedgehog, like me…"

"Sometimes I wish the same thing," replied Miriam gently, stroking the fuzz on his chest. "But it won't ever happen, Shadow, and one day I'll have to grow up and marry someone human because of my parents." Tears welled up in Miriam's eyes but Shadow instinctively wiped the tears away with a gentle hand.

"I will never leave you," he whispered lovingly, rubbing her back soothingly. "No matter what happens…"

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered tearfully. "It's just not fair; I want to be with you always. I may be young but I know love. I love you, Shadow."

"I love hearing you say that," said Shadow, smiling now. "I love you too, Miriam." He gave her another hug and kiss but pulled away when her parents came through the front door.

Miriam's parents stared at Shadow with an odd look on their faces but said nothing.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery," he greeted politely. "How has your day been?"

Miriam's mother was the first one to answer. "Very good, thank you, Shadow," she replied. "Just now, when we walked through the door, did we see you kissing Miriam?" Everyone in the room could hear the "Caution: all ye who enter" in her tone.

Shadow's tan muzzle dyed red with a flush and he averted his gaze nervously. "Yes, ma'am," he answered quietly, "but you know I love her, right?"

Now, Miriam's dad looked deadly like he would if he found out his daughter was pregnant. "You never told us that, hedgehog," he said coldly. "Miriam's too young to love. She's only fifteen, we'll have you know."

Shadow's ears folded back in submission but his expression remained firm. His blood-red colored eyes were as hard as rubies themselves and his mouth was set in a grim frown.

"She may only be fifteen," said Shadow coolly, "but she is highly capable of thinking for herself. We don't live in the Dark Ages, you know."

"She's still young," said Miriam's father irritably. "You can't expect us to allow our daughter to love at a young age."

Finally, Miriam had heard enough: she narrowed her eyes, frowned testily, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Mom, Dad," she said, sounding just as irritable as her father, "I'm old enough to decide for myself. I love Shadow, and there's nothing you can do about it. I'm almost sixteen; I'm not a child."

"Miriam, go to your room," said Mom in a cold tone. "We need to have a little talk."

With a huff, Miriam crossed her arms, turned on her heel, and stormed up the stairs to get to her room. Anger burned in Shadow's chest and he glared at Miriam's parents but he merely walked away and left the Montgomerys' home. He couldn't take her parents anymore. Despite being loving parents, they were so judgmental and narrow-minded. It drove Shadow crazy that those parents treated him like an unwelcome visitor but it wasn't unfamiliar. He just couldn't understand why her parents didn't like him…

…

As soon as Shadow got back to Rouge's place, he was greeted by her perfume and Rouge herself. She stared at Shadow curiously but he said nothing and brushed past her to go to his room. Rouge wouldn't let him, though, because she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

"What happened?" she asked intuitively.

"What are you talking about?" Shadow asked in response, feigning ignorance.

"I'm not stupid, Shadow," she said impatiently. "I know that look—something's wrong."

Shadow sighed, knowing her couldn't lie to Rouge even if he wanted to. "Miriam's parents caught me kissing her," explained Shadow, "and they told me that Miriam was too young to love and that I should leave her be."

Rouge shook her head in irritation and crossed her arms over her chest. "Unbelievable," she snorted disgustedly. "What did you say in response?"

"I told them that Miriam was old enough to make her own decisions and that we no longer lived in the Dark Ages. Of course Miriam tried to advocate for herself but her parents completely shut her down and told her to go to her room. After that, I left because I just couldn't stand her parents anymore."

Rouge sighed irritably and shook her head again. "I don't know what their issue is," remarked Rouge. "It's like they don't even want their daughter to grow up. Well here's a newsflash for them: Miriam is old enough to date. I've seen kids younger than her dating and kissing."

"I know," replied Shadow fervently. "Miriam is more mature than those kids too. I don't see her spending her weekends partying or getting high off drugs or having sex."

"Why don't you let her parents know that?" suggested Rouge. "Prove that she is old enough to advocate for herself and can love if she pleases."

Shadow nodded firmly and locked eyes with Rouge. "You should have been a counselor, Rouge," he said teasingly. "You're really good at listening to other people."

Rouge giggled. "Well, I am a spy, you know," she remarked. "That reminds me; congratulations for getting that job, Shadow. Commander Towers told me before I clocked off."

"Thanks," said Shadow, nodding. "Well, I'm going to my room. See you later, Rouge." With that, Shadow turned on his heel and strode off to his room.

As soon as he laid on his bed, he closed his eyes and thought of Miriam. What would it be like if she were a hedgehog? Would they be able to love without fears or judgment? He didn't know but he hoped that would be true. It was official; he was going to see how he could transform Miriam into a hedgehog or die trying. He wanted to be with her forever and he didn't want any physical disabilities holding them back.

_**A/N: Oh boy…Shadow's determined again. I do plan on transforming Miriam into a hedgehog but not yet. You'll have to see later on *wink*. Well, R&R!**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Proving It

(Shadow POV)

I never, ever considered drinking alcohol before because it was bad for you and it wasn't legal for someone my age but those parents Miriam had almost drove me to drink. Instead, I stayed downstairs in Rouge's living room drowning myself in soda and watching reruns of _Friends_. Honestly, I didn't like the show but it was better than all those crappy reality TV shows that I couldn't comprehend for the life of me. Eventually at twelve in the morning, Rouge came down in a purple robe and an irritated look on her face and told me to go to bed or she threatened to toss the TV out.

Since I was too irritated and tired to argue, I shut off the TV, skulked past Rouge, and went upstairs to my room. My room wasn't much to talk about. All I had was a dresser, a decent-sized cozy bed, and a bedside table to set my pistols and Chaos Emerald. I didn't fall asleep as soon as I hit my bed because I kept thinking about Miriam and how she was doing. I wanted to see her but I knew if I snuck into her room, her parents and Rouge would be out for my head so instead I just stayed in my room. What could I do to prove to her parents that I was worthy?

As the stars turned blue outside, I realized that I was exhausted so I rested my head on my pillow, kicked my air shoes off, and pulled the covers over my body. Once I got nice and comfortable, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Miriam. Needless to say, the dream was nice and pleasant but not one worth mentioning to anyone under thirteen. I woke myself up and realized something really embarrassing that I had to get rid of so I went to take a cold shower.

When I walked out of the bathroom ten minutes later, I saw Rouge smirking at me in a patronizing way and a flush flooded my cheeks. I felt so embarrassed right now! She knew what I dreamt about, didn't she? Dear God—if there was a god—I hoped I didn't make any noises or anything!

"Have _good _dreams, Shadow?" she asked, adding extra emphasis on the word "good".

I closed my eyes and bowed my head so she wouldn't see the bright red spots on my cheeks.

"I am a bat, you know," she continued, "and I heard something going bump in the night but not the type that one would normally think. I heard you moaning and say Miriam's name in your sleep. For a second, I actually thought you were awake until I went to check on you and, need I say more, you were sweating like a donkey in August and you had a…little problem poking out. I respect your privacy so I walked out just in case you needed to…you know, but if you ever need to talk about these things, just come to me so I won't have to listen to things going bump in the night."

I merely nodded and walked into my room to dry my body and put my air shoes on. When I pulled my shoes on, I stood up from my made bed and grabbed my Chaos Emerald to teleport to Miriam's house. Thank God she wasn't a bat with supersensory hearing or else she wouldn't look me straight in the eye again if she heard my dream…

…

When I arrived to Miriam's, I saw Miriam herself and her parents setting up red, green, and gold decorations. That piqued my curiosity: was it someone's birthday? Her parents effectively ignored me as I walked up to Miriam and placed my hand on hers. She looked at me and smiled brightly. It seemed the bad thing that happened the day prior didn't bother her.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking around. "Why are you all setting up these decorations?"

Miriam's mother looked at me quizzically. "Do have a calendar?" she asked laughingly. "It's December fourteenth. Eleven days before Christmas."

I felt my stomach drop a bit. _Oh, no, not Christmas!_ Christmas was Maria's favorite holiday and after she died, I had no desire to celebrate it anymore. Instead saying a biting remark, I just shrugged and averted my gaze.

Miriam, of course, noticed. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern coloring her tone.

"Well…" I said quietly, "Christmas was Maria's favorite holiday and it's hard to have the desire to celebrate knowing she's dead."

She walked over and placed her hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, Shadow," she said gently. "I'm sure Maria would want you to be happy. I know this may sound hard but even though Maria's gone, she still wants you to move on and be happy with your life. Dwelling on the past and the 'what ifs' is not good for us. It only holds us back from what we do have and who we do love."

Her parents and I were both shocked because we never expected her to go out on speech but she was right. I promised myself that I would put the past behind me and I was going to do that, starting with celebrating Christmas. A smile grew on my face and I nodded.  
"You're right," I replied with a nod. "Maria would want me to be happy."

"Who is Maria?" asked Miriam's mother, arching an eyebrow.

Miriam went into haste telling her parents about the ARK, the project, and Maria and how she died. Even though it had been a long time, hearing about Maria made me feel sad because she was so young and she was my only friend. After Miriam finished the story, her mother walked over to me with tears in her eyes and gave me a big bear hug. I was being suffocated but I was glad her parents didn't hate me anymore.

"It's okay, though," I said once I was released. "I know that no matter where I go I will have Maria in my heart. Miriam made me realize that…" I gave my girl a gentle, loving look that made her smile.

Miriam's dad let out a big sigh. "Well…" he said heavily, "I guess I can't stop the two of you. Just treat our little girl right, Shadow, or you will be sorry."

"Understood, sir," I replied, nodding. "I love your daughter and I would never, ever hurt her." I meant what I said.

Her father nodded and I walked up to Miriam, pressing a kiss to her lips. I felt her hand touch my cheek and a thrill went through my body. My dream the night prior made its reappearance in my mind but I managed to push it aside and kissed Miriam with sweet passion. When we separated, I gave her a gentle hug and felt her heartbeat against my chest. It felt so right…

"I love you," she whispered gently.

"I love you too," I whispered back, cradling her closely.

This moment was perfect and nothing could break it; not now, not ever.

_**A/N: Short chapter but I'll make up for it in the Christmas Eve chapter! I hope you like this one anyway. R&R!**_


End file.
